


A Charlie Weasley Christmas

by 42hrb



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU Harry Potter, After Hogwarts, Charmione, Christmas, F/M, Non-Canon Relationship, Ron Dies, The Burrow, after the war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 19:00:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4031038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/42hrb/pseuds/42hrb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Second Wizarding War Ron is killed tracking some death eaters.  The Weasley's, Harry and Hermione are still grieving the loss of both Fred and Ron when Charlie comes home for Christmas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Charlie Weasley Christmas

As much as Charlie Weasley loved his family, which was a lot, he hated coming home for the holidays, which is why he usually avoided it, but this year he had to. 1998 had been a rough year on the Weasley family. First Fred’s death and then Ron’s after the dust had settled. It had been a shock to everyone, Ron had been sent on a routine call for the auror office that had turned out to be a trap, he and Dawlish had both been killed before backup arrived. 

So Charlie was coming home for Christmas. He ran a hand through his red hair with a scared hand. He had donned a mohawk a few weeks before after losing a bet on the dragon reserve and he was starting to wonder if it was a bad idea to wear it home when the front door swung open and his mother greeted him with a sad smile. “Happy Christmas mum!” Charlie said hoping against hope that she wouldn’t comment on his hair.

She ushered him inside where Ginny and Harry were sitting by the fire talking quietly, George was sitting alone in a corner of the living room, his head down but Charlie could see bags under his eyes, Fluer and Bill were sitting at the kitchen table talking to Percy and his dad. “Almost everyone his here,” Mrs. Weasley said at she followed Charlie inside, we’re just waiting for Hermione.”

The family all stood to greet Charlie, all but George who had looked up and half smiled at his older brother before looking back at his hands. A few minutes later Hermione arrived and Charlie took that moment to walk over to George, “Hi there Georgie,” he said slapping his brother on the back and forcing a smile. Charlie looked toward the door and felt his breath catch in his chest, Hermione looked like a snow queen, her mess of curls covered in snowflakes and her cheeks pink from the snow. He had to shake his head to clear it and remind himself that she had been Ron’s girlfriend. 

Mrs. Weasley called the family to the dinner table and within minutes the kitchen was filled with talk and some quiet laughter, but it was different then any other Christmas. There wasn’t the usual boom of laughter from Fred and George’s end of the table because there wasn’t any more Fred. There was no yelling between Bill and Ron about quidditch because there wasn’t any more Ron. 

Charlie felt a lump forming in his throat and was pleased when Mrs. Weasley started clearing the table. He jumped at the chance to help her and to get away from the table but she shooed him away saying, “No Charlie dear, you don’t see your family near as often as I do, make the most of it.” before tears formed in her eyes and he pulled her into a hug, letting the tears fall from his eyes as well. 

When they broke apart Mrs. Weasley busied herself with the dishes and Charlie wondered into the sitting room. He saw the family wizard chess board sitting in the corner and he announced, “Anyone for a game of chess?” He knew suddenly that he had said the wrong thing, Hermione’s eyes had filled with tears, Harry had turned white as a ghost and Ginny had nearly dropped her cup of tea. Chess was Ron’s game, how could he have forgotten that?

Bill quickly stepped in and began talking about something that had happened at the bank. Charlie sat down next to George and said, “I miss them too Georgie.” They sat quietly together, a family in mourning. Everyone was trying to heal, everyone was doing it in their own way. Bill had started drinking a bit too much, Ginny had thrown herself into her quidditch training, Hermione into her studies, Harry had hunted down and killed the Death Eaters that had killed Ron but he was riddled with guilt because he should have been there, Mrs. Weasley tried to make everyone else feel better. 

****

Charlie snuck down the stairs from his room to the kitchen, his stomach growling loudly. He was surprised to see the fire still flickering in the hearth and a body laying on the couch. He saw a shock of raven hair and realized that Harry must be sleeping on the couch because he didn’t want to sleep in Ron’s room. Harry stirred and suddenly Charlie saw that Harry had his wand pointed at his chest. 

“It’s only me Harry,” He said in a calm voice, “Needed a bit of a midnight snack.” He grabbed some treacle tart and walked over to the couch, “Fancy a bit?”

Harry nodded and took the piece that Charlie was offering, “Sorry for pointing my wand at you, I’m just a bit on edge lately.” Charlie saw the pain in Harry’s eyes, eyes that looked like they had seen a hundred years, not 18. 

“It’s understandable, you’ve been through hell and back out again,” Charlie said wanting to hug the boy that was sitting in front of him looking so ragged and worn. 

“I’m not out yet.” Harry said quietly and Charlie saw the tears forming in Harry’s eyes. “I don’t think I ever will be.” Harry looked Charlie right in the eyes as he said it and let the tears fall freely without shame. “I’ve lost almost all the family I have.”

“Don’t let mum hear you say that,” Charlie said warningly, “It would break her heart. She thinks of you as the 7th Weasley son, you know that. She adopted you and Hermione into the family years ago, you had no choice in the matter.” 

“But with R-Ron gone,” Harry said but he couldn’t finish the sentence but Charlie swore he heard Harry say that it was his fault.

This time Charlie did grab Harry, placing a hand on each shoulder and looking right into his eyes, brown into green. “None of this is your fault, not Ron, not Fred, not Remus, not your parent. This was the work of a madman and you stopped him from hurting anyone else. We knew what we were getting into when we started, we all knew the risks.”

Harry collapsed onto Charlie’s shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. Charlie pulled Harry tight and hugged him, after a few minutes Harry was calm enough to speak and he said, “Thanks Charlie, it’s been a really hard year. I just miss my brother.” 

Charlie knew the feeling of losing a brother, “We may have lost two of our brothers but we all still have each other, we can’t forget that.” He and Harry sat quietly by the fire until the sun was starting to peak into the window. “You can always talk to me or any of the family, we’re in this together.”

***

Christmas breakfast at the Weasley house was always an affair to remember, not only did Mrs. Weasley cook up pounds upon pounds of bacon, sausage and eggs but she made Charlie’s favorite, leftover scramble where she cooked all the leftovers into eggs. As they sat around the table eating and thanking each other for the gifts.   
Charlie was halfway finished with his second plate when he felt eyes on him and saw Hermione watching him with a sad smile on her face, “What?” Charlie asked but his mouth was so full that it came out a muffled jumble. 

Mrs. Weasley gave him a disapproving look but Hermione actually laughed, “You just looked like Ron while you were eating, and sounded like him too just then actually.” The table was quiet for a moment before Harry piped in that he couldn’t agree more. 

“You and Ron always shared the ability to eat a every meal like you hadn’t eaten in a month,” Ginny said thoughtfully before breaking into a wide grin. That moment broke the tensions and storied about the dead, not just in the family but everyone, started getting shared. 

Harry and Hermione told storied about their adventures in the months they were away and how in the end it had been Ron that kept them going, “Even if he was a total prat for leaving us,” Hermione added with a laugh. She had taken Ron’s death particularly hard because of all the ‘what-ifs’ she had built up in her head. What-if Ron had lived, they would have been together for more then 3 weeks and they would be happy, that was the biggest one. 

****

Charlie found Hermione and Ginny sitting in Ginny’s room with the door open that night. He heard them chatting and poked his head in to say goodnight and an hour later they were sitting there talking, though he had moved from the doorway to the foot of Ginny’s bed after he realized they were going to be talking for awhile. 

Around midnight Ginny offered to go make them all cocoa as it seemed like they would be talking all night. Charlie and Hermione continued their conversation about how it was hard for Harry and Hermione to escape the press. “I saw an article about Harry’s new shoes last week,” Hermione said with a forced laugh.

“That’s the nice stuff they write though,” Charlie said with a sad smile. Hermione knew exactly what he was talking about. She had been photographed with Harry after Ron’s funeral, they had been holding hands and supporting each other and the Prophet had run that they had betrayed Ron’s memory by getting together so soon after his death. “We all knew it wasn’t true, that damn Skeeter woman just loves to get people talking.”

Charlie moved closer to Hermione and wiped the tears off her cheeks. He looked at her and without thinking said, “You even look beautiful when you cry.” He turned bright red, not like Ron starting at the ears, but from his hairline so it looked as if his hair was growing down his face. 

Hermione also blushed as she looked up at Charlie, she had stopped crying and she said, “I like the mohawk, I’m surprised your mother hasn’t threatened to regrow it yet though.” They both laughed and the tension was broken but something seemed to hang in the air. “Where did Ginny get to?” Hermione asked and got off the bed. She slipped on her slippers and her robe over her pajamas and motioned Charlie to follow her. 

They slowly crept down the stairs, both with their wands out. When they got to the bottom of the staircase they saw Harry and Ginny both asleep on the couch, Harry holding her to his chest, three cups of cocoa sat on the table as if waiting to be drunk. 

“Fancy a walk?” Charlie asked her, “It looks like a winter wonderland out there.” She nodded and they walked outside where snow was falling lightly. He resisted the urge to put his arm around her shoulder. “I love winter in England, that’s what I miss most when I’m in Romania.” 

Hermione was quiet but she nodded in agreement before saying, “I like winter, it reminds me of new beginnings.” Charlie shot her a quizzical look so she continued, “Snow is so white, so pure and it leads to spring and new life. Winter just makes me feel like anything is possible.” 

She hesitated for a moment before reaching out and taking Charlie's burned and scarred hand, she could feel the calluses on his palm. He squeezed her hand gently as they walked through the fresh snow. “I see what you mean about winter feeling like new beginnings.” He said with a smile. He felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest but he was worried that this was a betrayal to Ron’s memory. 

Suddenly a bright red and white flash of light shot across the sky, “Oh look, a shooting star.” Hermione said looking up at the spot where the light had flashed, but the light was gone in an instant. 

Charlie took that light as a sign because the second he saw it he felt like Ron had been there telling him it was okay that he was standing here holding hands with Hermione and though she didn’t say anything about it Hermione felt the same. In fact years later they would both site that flash of light as the moment they knew it was okay to move on. 

“You’re not heading back to Romania right after the holidays, are you?” Hermione asked as they started back toward the Burrow. The snow had stopped falling and they were both tired now, Hermione was already thinking about warming up the cocoa and going to bed. 

“No, I’m not,” Charlie said, which hadn’t been his plan. He had intended on staying around until the new year and then going back to Romania but now he thought sticking around might be a good idea, “I’ll be around for awhile.”


End file.
